


Under the Weather

by ilija



Category: DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-08
Updated: 2014-09-08
Packaged: 2018-02-16 10:30:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2266368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilija/pseuds/ilija
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What had started out as an innocent assumption that his body wasn't used to the weather turned out to be marginally correct in that he wasn't feeling the <i>weather</i> itself, but that he was instead <i>under</i> the weather.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under the Weather

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: non-graphic scene of vomiting. Self beta'd, any mistakes are mine.

The first noticeable change that Aoba had to adjust to upon arriving in Germany was the weather. While in Midorijima, around this time of year the air would be thick enough to weigh down even the paper Aoba would attempt to wave at himself while a plug in fan whirred and only succeeded in marginal stirring of the air. The contrast had startled Aoba immediately, even upon landing for the very first time. Having forgone a jacket that day under the assumption that it was only a marginal change in latitude, he found himself crossing his arms for the near hour car ride from the airport to Noiz's house rubbing his elbows for warmth and chiding Noiz irritably about not warning him prior about this change. All of it seemed to bounce off of Noiz's amused smirk ineffectively and after a week of the damp chill, Aoba finally resigned himself to adjusting his biological tolerance to a lower level.

This explained the slight surprise Aoba had upon waking, now a few months into his time in Germany, feeling hot enough to kick away the covers and the tackiness of dried sweat against his arms and hands. Grimacing, he ran a hand through his tousled hair and yawned, then proceeded to raise himself up and out of bed in order to click on the ceiling fan and pad his way into the bathroom, nearly tripping on Noiz's discarded bed clothes on the way. He really was a brat, leaving his dirties out in the middle of Aoba's path... but the little remainder of Noiz caused a faint smile to play upon Aoba's lips nonetheless.

When Aoba clicked on the light to the bathroom, a slight pang ran through his head from the back to the space between his eyes, enough to make him groan slightly. That really smarted... the fluorescent brightness was especially unpleasant this morning, Aoba thought to himself as he scrubbed his eyes with one hand and reached to turn on the shower faucet with the other.

After completing his morning routine in the bathroom and slipping on one of the lighter outfits in preparation for the day, Aoba made his way down the stairs, stopping briefly to butter a couple pieces of bread for a quick to-go breakfast and swiping the plastic cheese wrappers left by Noiz into the trash, and started his short walk down to the train station.

It had taken a bit of convincing on Noiz's part, but Aoba now worked one of the lower positions in Noiz's company. At first, Aoba had refused, taking it as Noiz pulling one too many strings and honestly feeling that maybe it would be a waste in the end since he had not a hint of experience in higher level sales, but after failing to even get past one interview at several local places with his rudimentary German, Aoba had acquiesced much to Noiz's satisfaction and was now past his first month on the job. All things considered it wasn't so bad--the train ride was a peaceful ten minutes to and from his and Noiz's house, it paid well enough, and Noiz had taken enough precautions to make sure he was comfortable in his position, which Aoba appreciated immensely later whenever he had almost had a fit trying to make small talk about the weather with a couple of associates. Unfortunately his attempt was to no avail who hid their laughter behind their palms until Noiz had clarified that what Aoba had meant was that the weather was more _humid_ in Japan, and that if they didn't get back to work after the conversation he would drop them with a load of files from the eighties to organize. 

Luckily it had been just a one time thing, and his skills had improved, so the next couple times whenever he had found Noiz around his cubicle Aoba would shoo him away with confidence.

Aoba was cursing his hindsight for not at the very least bringing along a bottle of water with him. He was still feeling rather hot inside his suit and now he was feeling a bit light headed on top of that, curse the couple of hills he had to traverse. He'd stop by the break room for something at the office, he thought to himself as he reached the train platform and took a seat on the bench, rubbing one hand across his forehead and making a face around the bread in his mouth at the heat in his fingertips running across his skin. Sheesh.

Upon the train's arrival and boarding and after flashing his pass at the older man patrolling the aisleway, Aoba nestled himself into a seat near the middle and pulled out his Coil. On screen were a couple of new announcements from the larger cities back home in Japan, a couple of work related emails, and a short text from Noiz telling him 'Have to go in early, hope you slept well, I'll clean the kitchen later' (to which Aoba rolled his eyes in both annoyance and affection; old habits really would die hard).

Aoba dusted the bits crumbs off his hands before lifting his hand to type a short reply to Noiz letting him know he was on the train, another one to Tae detailing any updates from the last time he messaged her that he deemed necessary, saved the work ones as read, and powered down the screen. It had become his own little ritual both too and from work once he had settled into the routine--he found a personal comfort, sort of stress-relief type of satisfaction getting all of the smaller ends tied up before having to hustle about until that evening. It befuddled Noiz at times how Aoba would fret over tiny things but had eventually grown to accept that as just how Aoba was and appreciate his eye for smaller details that he himself would often miss.

Speaking of tiny things...

Aoba was starting to gradually feel more uncomfortable as the train got closer to its destination. As usual he had chosen a window seat to watch the stretches of land and villages pass by, still fascinated by the old Western world charm, but the sun shining down on him just made him feel like the musty air around an old radiator. The growing discomfort was enough to make him feel vaguely nauseous and he adjusted the tie around his neck so that way he could swallow the lump in his throat more easily. This really sucks. He didn't realize that the climate difference would totally mess around with his entire balance. Next time he'd check the weather before dragging himself out of bed.

Trying to trick his body by thinking colder thoughts (A/C, ice water, visions of the ice caps), Aoba rose from his spot once the train reached his stop and almost tumbled back down, which would have been painful had he not caught himself on the back of the chair. Geez, that head rush was _really_ bad. He'd definitely have to stop by the break room before starting work. Swaying slightly as he left the train and platform and exited the station, Aoba crossed the final couple blocks between him and the office building.

He almost instantly regretted his earlier cool-down thoughts. The lobby felt like the air was positively _blasting_ and a chill ran up his spine. He just couldn't get a break this morning. Shaking the sudden tension from his arms, Aoba shuffled his hands back and forth as he rode the elevator up the several floors he needed in order to generate some form of personal warmth. What a pain that even this high up the stale office air was still chilled. Deciding that coffee would be his best bet instead of water, Aoba headed straight to the breakroom after stepping off of the elevator.

Whenever he opened the door, he was greeted with an exiting associate and Noiz's back, slightly hunched over in front of the vending machine.

"Morning Noiz," Aoba greeted as he headed straight to the instant coffee maker. Sucks that he'd have to make it this way, but it was better than nothing.

Noiz's eyes darted toward Aoba's direction and he smiled, nodding. "Good morning. Should I get the crisps, or the--"

"The Bueno." Aoba replied crisply, knowing his boyfriend's preference toward more sweet items and shivering slightly as he held his hand to where steam was rising off the coffee being produced. Man, that felt good. Noiz hummed in a modest agreement and pressed the buttons to dispense the small package. It fell to the bottom of the machine just as the coffee maker gurgled and Aoba pulled the finished cup of coffee out and prepared to take a sip.

Well, he had _prepared_ to take a sip, but the bitter smell suddenly made his stomach roil enough to make him freeze. So as to not let his stomach do somersaults up his throat, Aoba closed his eyes and took one breath inward, then exhaled in an exhausted manner. Whenever he opened his eyes, a half eaten section of the candy bar was waved under his nose.

"Hungry?" Noiz asked. "If you haven't eaten breakfast, this should last you until lunch." The sweet smell was thick under Aoba's nose and his stomach lurched again. He swallowed.

"Uh," Aoba put his hand up to block the candy from getting any closer to his nose. "No thanks. I've already eaten breakfast anyway. A better breakfast than candy at least."

"So did I, but I'm not making any excuse for why I'm eating this. It tastes good," Noiz said in rebuttal as he took the candy back and popped it in his mouth. Aoba made a face.

"I'm just not really in the mood right now for any food," Noiz raised an eyebrow, "or a sugar crash," Aoba tacked on quickly. "Besides, I just came in for coffee since it's pretty cold in the building today."

"Hm, feels fine to me." Noiz shrugged.

"Probably in contrast to the weather outside, maybe!" Aoba shook his head. "I think the weather must be getting to me or something... I wake up and I'm all sweaty, but I get to work and I feel like I washed my hands in cold water." Flexing his fingers to make a point, Aoba picked up his coffee. "I should start up work though, I'll meet you for lunch, okay?" He squeezed Noiz's hand (who in return wouldn't let go until Aoba gave him a proper kiss to finish) and left the breakroom.

\--

Not even three hours later Aoba started to realize that something definitely, absolutely was not right.

He hadn't taken but maybe two sips of his coffee in the time between leaving the break room and now. Every sip had made his stomach balk even more both at the smell and taste and had remained lodged firmly in his throat. Even though he was still wearing his jacket, he was shivering slightly underneath the material and the back of his neck felt damp. But the worst part was that he was barely able to concentrate on his work.

There was a week-long order in process from a company of mild affiliation with a partner corporation of Noiz's, so Aoba had decided that was one of the more important ones he needed to keep focus on and on previous days he had thought he had done decently well despite the several roadblocks he had come upon in the language barrier. He thought the spokesperson may have liked him from behind his screen. But today, Aoba could barely process a majority of the contact's requests, and Aoba could tell he was getting frustrated. What a terrible way to finish processing this...

Aoba groaned slightly and leaned forward on his elbows onto his desk, burying his face in his hands, trying to keep the manifesting ball of anxiety in his already jumpy stomach to a minimum and rubbing his forehead with damp fingers to stave off an incoming headache. Maybe he should take note of some very apologetic words and phrases from his coworkers he could convey his remorse for not being able to pay attention to the seller.

Ah, but closing his eyes felt so much better than staring at the screen.

"Mr. Seragaki?"

Aoba jolted, face almost slipping from between his hands and elbow almost knocking the cold coffee off his desk. He yelped, almost too slow in catching it before it tipped but the woman who called his name managed to whip her hand out and catch it by the rim before it spilled.

"Oh, I'm-- I'm very sorry," Aoba choked out in embarrassment, dipping his head down once, but the woman shot him a nonchalant smile.

"Please don't worry, I just came to give you these," she placed a couple of manila folders into the filing basket besides Aoba's computer, "and Mr. Noiz has also asked me to come fetch you as well."

"Huh?" Aoba said stupidly before shaking his head. "I mean, couldn't he have just messaged me instead? You really didn't have to do that."

"He did message you, but you weren't replying, so that's why he sent me," she shrugged, gesturing to Aoba's screen where a flashing window with Noiz's name was minimized. Aoba sighed.

"I see... thank you very much, I appreciate it."

After the woman had bid him goodbye and turned a corner Aoba stood up and felt yet another headrush, almost as bad as the one on the bus, and this time with the addition of his nauseous stomach he really did almost fall back into his chair. Swallowing resolutely, Aoba stood up as straight as he could so as to not worry Noiz about his condition upon sight and walked down the couple hallways until he knocked once on the heavy door to Noiz's office and stepped inside.

Noiz seemed to be finishing up a phone call whenever Aoba entered, so he gestured with one hand and cricked up one corner of his mouth to acknowledge Aoba's presence. In order to settle his nerves, Aoba listened and translated what Noiz was saying into the phone. Something, one time thing, something unsure, something yeah, that's fine, I'll talk with you later, I've got something important going on, bye.

When the clatter of the phone in its cradle signified the end of the conversation, Aoba opened his mouth. "Anke said you wanted to see me."

"Mm," Noiz answered. "I've been trying to message you for about thirty minutes, but you weren't answering."

"Yeah, I was wo--"  
"And I know you weren't working on Kowalczyk's order," Aoba's eyebrows furrowed and he opened his mouth to retort but Noiz held up a finger, "because I just received a message from him saying that something had gone wrong with his order today."

_Oh my god_. "I--"

"Aoba, are you okay?"

The tone of concern in Noiz's voice makes Aoba's voice freeze in his throat. He looked at Noiz straight on and then had to avert his gaze to the toes of his shoes after being pierced with the look Noiz gave him. But, stubbornly, he still didn't want to worry Noiz, and it's not like he couldn't suck it up and survive until the end of the day--

"Aoba." The rumble of Noiz's voice made Aoba flinch and his cheeks flush at the same time. "Come here."

Taking a couple of unsure steps forward, Aoba stopped until the edge of Noiz's desk almost touched him and Noiz stretched out his hand to touch Aoba's, wrapping his fingers around the others'.

Aoba cleared his throat, despite feeling like that may dislodge the ball of nausea stuck there. "I'm fine Noiz, really, just a miscommunication with the order. I think I have to brush up on a couple words. I guess what they say about assuming is true--"

"I'm not worried about the _order_ , Aoba," Noiz huffed. "I'm worried about you. You come into work shivering in a dark suit when it's not even cold, yet your fingers are hot, then I try to message you and Anke tells me that you're so out of it you aren't even watching your screen."

_Ah, shit. Damn it._

The concern radiating off of Noiz was almost palpable, and if Aoba weren't so disconcerted with how he felt physically his heart would have melted a little. Trying to be reassuring, Aoba squeezed Noiz's fingers and dredged up a smile from somewhere as an extra convincer.

"Really Noiz, I'm fine, I guess it's just one of those days where the office isn't really productive." The look on Noiz's face was still skeptical. "I think I'll take an earlier leave today, but I'll be sure to bring the files home and--"

"No files."

"Noiz--" Aoba half-groaned.

"If you're not feeling well, I don't want you taking home anything to make it worse."

"I just told you," Aoba muttered, now becoming irate, "I'm fine. I just think I'll do better at home. So, stop worrying about it, and you worry about yourself, hm?" Aoba flicked at Noiz's nose playfully.

The skepticism had lifted a little more from Noiz's face, but there was still a tone of disbelief in Noiz's voice whenever he spoke. "Alright, whatever you say. Just don't overwork yourself, Aoba," to which Aoba rolled his eyes and waved that off, but not before giving one final squeeze to Noiz's hand before turning and leaving Noiz's office. Thank God, Aoba thought, almost doubling over once he reached his cubicle. He seriously thought an angry squirrel was rattling around looking for escape inside his stomach, and if he had had to speak much more it probably would have escaped.

The train ride back home was so much worse on the return trip. Despite being out of the chilly office and sitting in the sun, Aoba was still shivering, his hands making occasional tapping noises as they stuttered against the files in his lap. He felt like a sad pile of wet noodles dropped onto a floor, and the comparison to food didn't really help his nausea. What had started out as an innocent assumption that his body wasn't used to the weather turned out to be marginally correct in that he wasn't feeling the _weather_ itself, but that he was instead _under_ the weather.

Having not been sick in several years Aoba had forgotten how truly awful it was. He felt like he had been stuck in cling wrap, set in a dryer on high, and set in the sun, trapped in a humid stuffy encasing with his stomach turning in circles. How he hadn't run into the sign posts down the block to his and Noiz's house was a feat of sure willpower.

Almost immediately Aoba heard the pitter of small feet on the tile stretching from the kitchen to the foyer. "I'm home," Aoba greeted in a weak tone, feeling confident enough to let how cruddy he truly felt evident since Noiz wasn't around. A blue-black ball of fur stood in front of Aoba's toes as he slipped his shoes off.

"Welcome home Aoba," Ren greeted. "Your temperature has spiked to a higher level than normal. Are you alright?"

"Aah, not really," Aoba confessed shook his head, rubbing his stomach with his palm as he swallowed. "Just a bit under the weather, I think maybe I'll lie down before I get back to work--"

"I wouldn't advise that," Ren replied, skittering beside Aoba up the steps, "Overexerting yourself could cause adverse effects, and it would also worry Noiz to come home and see you working in such a state."

"Oh--" Aoba blew upward, the puff of breath fanning his sticking bangs, and fell onto the bed. "I'll be fine, Ren. An hour won't make too much of a difference, and I'm sure I'll sweat it out in my sleep, what with how warm it is in here--"

"The temperature is adjusted to the same level as usual," Aoba shot him an indignant look. Ren shook his head and padded around in a circle beside Aoba before pausing, "Would you like me to assist you with anything? I can find an ice pack underneath the sink."

"No thank you, but I appreciate the thought, Ren," Aoba mumbled as he threw one arm over his face and his eyelids fluttered. "Just a little bit and I'll be okay," he trailed off as Ren tugged the cover more over Aoba using his mouth. 

Aoba had only planned on lying there for maybe a half an hour, forty-five minutes at most before he attempted to start on the order forms again but he found himself jerked out of a floating, almost dizzying half asleep state by the sound of a door opening and slamming shut and a voice calling, "I'm home! Aoba!"

"Wha-- Noiz?" Aoba shot up and checked his coil for the time.

...which wasn't exactly the smartest thinking on his part.

The sudden movement hit his gut like a sucker punch, the contents roiling in revulsion. A deep noise snuck its way out from somewhere deep in Aoba's throat and, eyes wide, his palm shot immediately to cover his mouth. 

As footsteps padded up the staircase to their shared room, Aoba jerked up the covers, which were now covering Ren who had attempted to assess Aoba's condition but was cut off by the duvet covering his body, and scurried into the bathroom, hunched over with one arm wrapped over his abdomen and trying to swallow his rapidly rising breakfast. His senses were so attuned to trying to keep the terrible inevitable fate from occurring that he could practically feel his clammy skin stretching over his esophagus as he swallowed hard.

His ears felt stuffed with cotton, only vaguely registering Noiz asking Ren where Aoba was and the door to the bathroom opening. Aoba turned his upper body, now facing Noiz with wide eyes and stiff posture, shuddering with repressed gagging. Noiz's eyebrows rose and worry flashed across his eyes as he took in Aoba's state, and Aoba just felt so ashamed. His mind rushed frantically, trying to think of anything but what was going to absolutely, one hundred percent going to happen, and he thought he had it under control until Noiz opened his mouth.

"Aoba--"

That was what did it. The attention drawn to Noiz's mouth, open with wet teeth, tongue, thick swallowing, words spilling out of his throat, and Aoba's control finally snapped.

Closing his eyes, Aoba heard a loud retch before he felt it; it was almost like someone had stuck their hand down his throat and pulled a plug too hard. That pain and the splattering noise against the tile and Ren's answering yelp was enough to make tears prick at the corners of his eyes, he felt as if he were throbbing with embarrassment, so much so that he barely registered quick movements around his head. It was Noiz, one hand taking hold of Aoba's hair and holding it behind his head as he vomited and the other guiding his chin so that it aimed over the sink instead of the floor.

God, if he threw up on and made a mess of Noiz's hands-- his cheeks burned almost as much as his throat did.

The shuddering and heaving started to subside as the minutes passed until Aoba was bent nearly in half over the sink, coughing as his breath burned his nose and throat and leaning into Noiz's hands. The air around him smelled horrid and he really wouldn't have blamed Noiz if he had freed up a hand to hold his nose at that moment. When Noiz did free up his hand however, it was quickly followed by the sound of water running and Aoba felt a damp cloth rubbing under his nose, his chin, his lips. The cool texture was a blessing against the flushed temperature of Aoba's face and he instinctively closed his eyes.

"Ah, what a mess..." Noiz mumbled more to himself than Aoba or Ren, who had hopped onto the closed lid of the toilet and was watching from his perch worriedly. As Aoba slowly opened his eyes to geta decent assessment of said mess, he got a glimpse of his fine... _work_ and felt his stomach heave for an epilogue to the previous episode. Frantically he jerked Noiz's hand away in a fit of adrenaline just in time to choke out one last bout of bile. Arms shaking, he finally braced himself against the sink and hung his head in Noiz's hands.

" _Alter_..." Noiz shook his head and murmured as he looked at Aoba's face, folding the handkerchief and wiping Aoba's chin off once more. At the utterance, Aoba chanced opening his eyes and found himself facing the ground and, more importantly, Noiz's splattered shoes and pants cuffs. Let him rephrase that, Noiz's splattered shoes and pants cuffs that cost more than three months worth of salary at Aoba's old job.

"Noiz, I-- I'm sorry, your shoes--" Aoba tried to convey, but was interrupted by Noiz giving a loud sigh in exasperation.

"Really? You just heaved your guts all over the sink, you're hotter than a furnace, yet you're worried about my shoes." Noiz rolled his eyes and helped manuever Aoba to a more upright position, palms gentle and supportive. Turning the water to a higher temperature, Noiz gestured with his chin. "Here, rinse your hands."

Aoba averted his eyes from any contact with the mirror or Noiz as he rinsed the fluid off his hands, dry heaving every few minutes. At Noiz's urging, he was divested of his stained shirt (but insisted he could get out of his pants just fine, thanks) and his face fully cleaned. Once that was all said and done, Aoba stumbled with shaky steps back to the bed, clad embarrassingly in only socks and briefs, where Ren was waiting with patience and anxiousness.

"Aoba, your temperature has increased since last measure and your heart rate has accelerated," Ren noted, taking a place on the pillow beside Aoba's head as the man pulled the duvet over himself and rolled over, back to the bathroom. "You should consider replacing your electrolytes as soon as your stomach is able to accept fluids."

"I know, I know," Aoba replied in a resigned tone. Ren nudged his head once before stepping back and away. Aoba was about to turn his head to see where Ren had disappeared to on the bed before Noiz's cool palm slid across his cheek to his forehead. The change in temperature was practically a muscle relaxer as Aoba fell limp back into the pillow. Fingertips toyed with the ends of Aoba's bangs as the mattress sank.

"You're hot," Noiz said, "and not only in the way I usually mean." If it didn't feel like his throat had been through a shredder Aoba would have groaned at the bad joke. This kid... So he settled for hunching his shoulders more inward in an attempt to stop his shivers.

"I'm sorry Noiz..."

"Ugh, what did I just--"

"I'm sorry... for not telling you," Aoba cut off Noiz's retort. "I probably made you come home in the middle of something important too. I could have saved a lot of trouble for us both if I... had said something." The tips of his cheeks burning, Aoba buried his nose into the pillow, the change of smell from sweaty upper lip to clean laundry a welcome change.

"You're not wrong," Noiz started, "but I wouldn't force you to say or do anything that you don't want to. I did worry about you though, but that's because you obviously weren't well. I really wanted to haul you up and send you on the next train home personally. Didn't you read any of my messages?"

"Uh?" Aoba opened his eyes and turned his head more to face Noiz, who now had a smug expression like the kid who'd won the race to the sandbox.

"Kowalczyk didn't call me at all, I made that up."

This _brat_ \-- Aoba uttered a short moan and pulled the duvet over his head as Noiz continued, "When you didn't reply to any of my messages, I took inventory of the account's mailbox and noticed what had been going on and figured, for such a detail-focused guy that's gotta mean something." Noiz tapped his temple and grinned. "Gotta think on your feet if you want your excuses to be believable, like me."

"Noiz, oh my God--"

"Hey hey, calm down," Noiz leaned down to press his lips against Aoba's cheek and murmur, "don't get so worked up, I'm just kidding. Are you okay? Will you be okay? I want to stay here with you, but the bathroom is--"

"No, no details," Aoba shook his foggy head. "I'm not gonna die if you're gone for a few minutes to clean, just..." Now his blush had reached peak levels, and not just from the fever. If Noiz had not leaned forward as Aoba had trailed off, he would have missed the next few words. "...just come back here soon."

A smile ghosted across Noiz's lips as he pressed his lips to the height of Aoba's color-dusted, damp cheek for a few more seconds, nodding in understanding. "I'll be right back Aoba, promise," Noiz punctuated with a squeeze to Aoba's shoulder, leaning over to pick up Ren and set him back on the pillow beside Aoba's head, and stood up, rolling up his sleeves in preparation as he walked into the bathroom.

For the next while Aoba faded in and out of a haze, shivers rattling his frame and his breath feeling like exhaust from the tailpipe of a truck. Occassionally he'd come to when the sound of a brush against grout or running water from the tub would reach his ears, but he would settle back into the mental mist when Ren would readjust himself against Aoba or Noiz would start muttering to himself as he worked. Despite feeling like shit with a footprint in the middle, Aoba found himself oddly comfortable floating among the scene and attempted to find rest away from the fever and remnants of nausea.

Aoba snapped back to reality whenever he felt the backs of cool, damp fingers run down his face. Sniffing, he cracked open his swollen eyes and looked around without moving.

"Aoba," Noiz said in a low tone, " do you think you can sit up for a bit? I can help."

Aoba grunted slighly in affirmation, hoisting himself up on his elbows first before sitting as straight as he could, tucking his knees up and to his chest. His eyes skimmed over Noiz, now clad in nothing but his undershirt and a faded pair of rolled up sweatpants. He looked ridiculous; they made quite a pair at that moment. Once Aoba's gaze reached Noiz's now bare feet, his mind still stuck on one tiny detail.

"Uh, how are your shoes--?"

"Stained, can't get it out," Noiz shrugged dismissively. When Aoba buried his face in his palms and fell back against the pillows, groaning, Noiz felt the corner of one eye twitch. "Will you stop? They were last season's shoes anyway. I only liked them because the soles had been broken in."

"They were four _hundred_ Euros, Noiz."

"And?" Noiz grasped Aoba's wrists, pulling them down and away from his face. "Your health is worth not even a thousand fold of those shoes." Noiz gave Aoba a serious look and Aoba quieted. "Really, I don't understand how... sometimes I wonder what goes on in how your priorities are organized."

"Sometimes I worry about _your_ priorities," Aoba murmured, "You get my vomit on your shoes, and pants, and here you are smearing your hands all over my sweaty self and smelling my corpse breath," he wrinkles his nose. His mouth tastes awful, he can practically feel it manifesting in his nose. But he was just too tired to deal with it at the moment. Having your internal organs do an almost literal one eighty could really take a toll on a guy.

Something sparked in Noiz's eyes. Still grasping Aoba's arms, he tugged Aoba up into a more sitting position. He was met with slight resistance.

"Noiz, come on, let me lie down a bit longer--"  
Helping an indignant Aoba to his feet, Noiz asked, "Do you think you'd feel better if you brushed your teeth first?"

Aoba took a second to gain his balance, one of Noiz's hands dropping and the other holding onto his elbow, and his lips flattened into a straight line. As tired as he was, it would do well to not have his mouth taste like bile. "...yeah, I guess. I'll do that first," he said as he took the couple steps into the bathroom, now damp and smelling sharp. 

Sniffing once to rid the bitter clean hurt from his nose, Aoba had unscrewed the toothpaste and had just applied some to the bristles of his toothbrush before he found it taken from his loose fingers and being run under the water. He gawked at Noiz. Acting like a grabby little kid--

"Noiz, what are you doing--" He started to reprimand before he found his chin held in a gentle but sure grip in Noiz's free hand.

"You're tired, right?" Noiz asked. "Let me. Ah--" he opened his mouth once to direct Aoba to do the same. Aoba could feel his cheeks flush with embarrassment and he averted his eyes.

"It's not like I'm an invalid or something--" He muttered as Noiz tapped the head of the toothbrush against his half-squished lips.

"Open," Noiz commanded. So it wouldn't seem like he was giving in too easily, and Noiz really could be persistent if he wanted, Aoba mumbled something something childish so and so before slowly opening his mouth enough for Noiz to slide in the toothbrush.

Once Noiz began the gentle movements against the other's teeth, Aoba immediately took back all his grumblings because wow, wow, this felt... kind of incredible. With Noiz's fingers holding his head in place, Aoba shut his eyes and let the soft glide of wet bristles refresh his mouth, the foam stinging and fading as quickly as it had come and leaving his mouth feeling much more fresh. That combined with just how gentle Noiz was being during the whole ordeal caused Aoba to moan slightly.

"Um, feels good..." he garbled around the toothpaste.

"Ah, a little bit got onto my hand."

"Sorry."

"That's a little bit more. Stop talking for two seconds, I'm almost," Noiz chided as he slid the bristles to move against Aoba's tongue, taking extra care not to reach too far back, and cradled Aoba's head in his chin to keep it from lolling around. Even with the messy halo of blue hair and drooping eyes, Noiz found him unbearably cute and felt a twinge of disappointment in his chest as he neared the end of his little endeavor.

After finishing off the back teeth, Noiz pulled the toothbrush out and tapped his other index finger on the side of Aoba's jaw. "Aoba, we're done."

"Hm?" Aoba answered, slack with loose muscles. Leaning over and out of Noiz's grasp he spit in the sink and Noiz made an amused sound as he wiped his hand off on a towel hanging by the sink.

"You know, I think I've seen enough body fluids come out of you today for at least a week."

"A week," Aoba rolled his bleary eyes, leaning over to dab at the corners of his mouth. "If that's the case, then just wait until I get appendicitis. It should do you for two weeks." He paused after his little comeback, then looked Noiz in the eyes. "Ah, I-- thank you Noiz. For all this. Even if it was unexpected, it means a lot, so... thank you. Danke." He took a step forward and leaned his forehead onto Noiz's shoulder, receiving one lanky arm draped over his shoulders in answer. He could practically feel Noiz's smile reverberate.

"Looking at my actions so highly... you flatter me. I'm just doing what's right and good for you, you know, because what's best for you is what's right for me too. Now," Noiz's hand squeezed Aoba's shoulder and turned him to guide him back to bed, "I read earlier that keeping warm is what's recommended for a fever, so--"

"Living with you for this long, I'm really not sure if that's an insinuation or fact."

"Your insinuation can be a reimbursement for my ruined shoes," Noiz smirked, maneuvering a flustered Aoba back to his earlier spot under the covers, but this time with enough room for an extra Noiz. Despite the childish comeback, Aoba caught on to the hint of warmth underlying it, and found himself settling back down into the warm of the covers with an extra Noiz, and even though throat felt thoroughly grated and his eyes swollen, he felt much more fine because compared to having Noiz here to cast aside those minuscule worries, they were just the little details.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a couple years since I've written anything, but DMMd and Noiz/Aoba took my heart by storm and this fic turned out to be a monster. I honestly expected it to barely hit 2k but here I am...?!
> 
> Just a couple notes on the German used here:
> 
> Aoba confusing the weather: the word for 'muggy' and 'gay' are only one accent away (schwül and schwul). It's my favorite wordplay joke.  
> Alter: though it means something like 'age' or an age descriptor, the way I hear it used/used it in Germany is like, "oh man" or "dude!".
> 
> What a ride this fic was! I hope you'll enjoy my first fic contribution to this fandom, it was a lot of fun.


End file.
